In Acts 10:13 it says, a voice came to Peter and said, ” Get up , Kefa , slaughter and eat!”  I know that God is telling Peter to go and tell the Gentiles about Yeshua. I have also been taught that it also meant that it was alright to eat pork and all the other foods that God had told the Israelites in the desert not to eat.  So, is that correct or was it just meant to tell Peter to tell the Gentiles about Yeshua?

The origins of animals being used symbolically to represent people…

Animals have always been symbols of different nations in Bible prophecy and the earliest references to this originate from The Book of Enoch, which Peter was very familiar with having studied it and memorized numerous passages from, (and from which he incorporates various material and themes in his writing of First and Second Peter).

We see the first use of animals being used in the Book of Enoch describing the early forefathers of the nations…  In fact it was probably Enoch chapter 88 that Peter had been reading and meditating upon when he had his vision of the animals being lowered in the sheet representing him taking the message of Messiah even to the unclean nations!

In Enoch 88, Enoch is seeing the future deluge in vision with symbols and types foreshadowing what is to come.  God has often used symbolic language to reveal future prophetic events… and with Enoch, Daniel and Ezra we see him use animals as symbols of people groups and nations to come.  In Enoch 88:12 the white cow which became a man and went out of the ship is obviously Noah and the three cows with him are his three sons, Shem represented by the white cow, Yephet by the red cow, and Ham by the Black Cow.  (notice the white cow of Shem is the Priestly line from Noah who is also described as a white cow, while the other brothers are represented by other colors such as red and black).

In verse 15 all the different kinds that are assembled together represent the Tower of Babel.  In verse 18, when they begin to bite each other, that is when Nimrod the mighty hunter Lorded over the descendants of Ham and began to kill off the descendants of Yapheth  and Shem.  It was during this time that the white cow  (Abraham) was called forth from the land of Nimrod (Ur of the Chaldeans) and brings forth offspring from three different women:  Ishmael son of Hagar is described as a wild-ass,  and the white cow describes Isaac the son of Sarah,  and the many wild asses  the sons of Keturah later.  White always represents purity and the true followers of God.  God sees the future in advance and knows the choices man will make… some for good and some for evil and some in between and thus gives a different animal characterizing each person… thus, tracing the “white” pure line Messiah would come through as the lamb of God coming from a house of sheep which is how Enoch describes the 12 tribes of Israel.

Isaac had two sons, and we see Esau described as a black wild pig showing the rebellion of his heart whereas Jacob is described as a white sheep who brings forth 12 sheep of his own. Verse 21 says when those sheep grew up they delivered one of themselves, namely Joseph, to the asses (which are the Ishmaelites)… and the asses (Ishmaelites) delivered that sheep Joseph to the wolves (Egyptians).

It is interesting to note, that Esau ended up marrying one of the daughters of Ishmael who was originally described as a wild ass in Enoch, and as Enoch was written first, this is just how the Torah describes Esau in Genesis 16:12.

Now fast-forward 210 years the descendants of Israel, and Ishmael and Esau, and the Egyptians when God sends Moses to deliver the children of Israel there were many that realized that YHVH, the God of the Israelites, was the only one true God, and so the Bible describes God calling-out and leading a mixed multitude with Israel… as many converted and stood together at the base of Mount Sinai as one assembly of Believers in YHVH with the Israelites (sheep), Egyptians (wolves), and the intermarried children of Esau and Ishmael (wild asses) as Jethro priest of Midian was the descendant of Esau who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses. This is a prophetic picture of the last days we are in also as God is calling out all who will hear His voice from the Sheep, and the Wolves, and the wild asses… to be a Called-out Assembly of Believers from all backgrounds and walks of life to return to his Covenant and to walk in his ways and to be one with his people Israel!

This is why I felt impressed to call our humble assembly just that… and to welcome all people from all nations and all backgrounds to unite as one family in the spirit of Truth and Love with God as our Father, Deliverer, and Guide through our time in the wilderness sojourn together before Messiah’s return, and the millennial kingdom is set up!